Improvement in cotton-gins



4 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. A. ST'EARNS.

CDTTON-GIN Patented Sept. 12, 1876.

NPEI'ERS, PNDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

- V 4Sheets-Sheet2. H. A. STEARNS.

COTTON-GIN. v

Patented Sept. 12, 1576.*

' V fizz/0322022 7%WWWQ N. PETERS, PHOT 4SheetsSheet3. H. A. STEARNS.

' COTTON-GINL 11 ,132,239, Patented Sept. 12, 1876.

110727 016.)".- [XI/61230.): ,fmd/ $14M.

. A 14 Mafia NPETERS. PHOTO LITHDGRAPHER WASWNGTON D C 4.Sheets Sh.eet4. H. A. STEARNS.

. COTTON-GIN. No.182,239, Patented Sept.12, 1876.

MQ'ZJwJJeJ, [110157120]? N. FEIERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHXNGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. STEARNS, on. LINCOLN, maroon ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-GINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 82,239, dated September 12, 1876; application filed January 18, 1876. t f

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRYA. STEARNS,

' of the town of Lincoln, county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Gotton-Grins; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification. Figure 1 is an end view of my improved cotton-gin. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view, showing the gearing connecting the moving parts. Fig. 4 is a view of the opposite end, showing the driving-belts.

This invention relates to that class of cotton-gins known as roller-gins, in which the cotton-fiber is separated from the seed by being drawn in between an elastic revolving roller and a stationary knife, while the seed is loosened by reciprocating beater-knives, having a peculiar nipping motion; and consists in the novel arrangement of mechanism for opening the cotton-bolls previous to supplying them to the rolls, and in the arrangement by which the beater-knives are reciprocated' from and connected with a central shaft, so'that the same operate on two rolls, the whole forming a double roll-gin of novel construction.

In the drawings, on a a are the feed-rolls, two of which are covered with rubber or other elastic material. The cotton-bolls are held by these rolls, and as the fiber adheres to the elastic rolls, the opener b revolving rapidly, separates the bolls and loosens the fiber. G is an oscillating partition, to which vibratory motion is imparted by connecting the arm 0 with the face of the pulley a at 0 as shown in Fig. 4. d is the crank-shaft, to which the two sets of beater-knives are secured, and by which reciprocating motion is imparted to the same. This shaft d is placed between the two elastic 'rolls at any desired point above the same, so that the beater-knives or comb-plates can operate on both the rolls.

The cranks or eccentrics on this shaft may be so arranged that one comb-plate or heater knife is forced outwardly when the other is drawn in.

When the shaft d is placed so low that the two beater-knives or comb-plates operate on, or nearly on, a level with the top of the elastic rolls, as shown in Fig. 2 in broken lines, I

prefer to so arrange the cranks or eccentrics as that the knives will be reciprocated alternately to counteract the jars of each other. E E are the beater-knives or comb-plates, secured to cranks or eccentrics on the shaft d, with their other end sliding in guides E E. F F represent the elastic rolls; h h, the stationary knives, between which and the rolls the cotton is drawn. 9 represents a clearing-roll, constructed in any of the usual methods, to clear both the rolls F F and deliver the cotton. The board g is placed nearer this roll to prevent the loose cotton from following the roll or clearer g.

A suitable apron revolving continuously may be arranged in any manner to collectand convey the cotton to any point, or the same may be forced to a receptacle by the blast generated by the clearer g.

The operation of the gin is as follows: The cotton is delivered to the rolls a a a. The two between which the cotton must pass are cov ered with rubber or other elastic material, to prevent the crushing of the seed, and to secure a firm hold on the fiber while the rapidly-revolving opener b scrapes the seed, and separates the bolls into loose open flocks, and

thus suppliesthe same to the comb-plates.

The oscillating partition 0, by its vibratory motion, regulates the distribution of the cotton, and allows an even quantity to be delivered to both rollers and uniformly over the same. i

The cotton is drawn in by the elastic rolls between the rolls F F,'and' the knives h loosen the fiber from the seed, and thus facilitate the work, the comb-plates or beater-knives E E reciprocate rapidly, and thus push the seed down until it is loosened and the cotton-fiber separated.

The rapid reciprocation of the comb-plates exerts a severe strain upon the shaft cl. The cranks or eccentrics are, therefore, arranged to distribute the strain,-and the lower the shaft is placed the more will the strain and concussions counteract one another, as, if the shaft d is placed nearly on a line with the top of the rolls F F, and both comb-plates are arranged so as to be drawn out and in g at the sametime, the vibration is greatly reduced. The rolls are kept free from the cottonlint by the revolving cleaner-roll g, which is placed between the two elastic rolls F F, so as to operate on both.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination, in a double roller-gin, of the rolls a a, opener b, and vibrating partition O, substantially as and for the purpose described.

. 2. The combination of the shaft d,constructed and arranged as described, the two elastic rolls F F, with the comb-plates E E, arranged to operate on two rolls from one central shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the knives h h, rolls F F, and the projecting board g, of the revolving clearer-roll g, arranged to operate on both of said rolls, substantially as described.

HENRY A. STEARNS. Witnesses:

I HORAOE'F. HORTON, ERNEST O. BARTH. 

